The free challenge, which began May 6 with 1,738 players, requires a participant to choose one horse each racing day – in six designated races - at least 10 minutes prior to the first race. The selected horse must finish first, second or third for a player to continue.

The last player standing will receive the cash prize along with a two-night VIP stay at the Golden Nugget Las Vegas.

Two Southern Californians – Mark Niemerow of Thousand Oaks and Rogers Bond of Solana Beach – are among the survivors heading into the 17th day of the contest. The others still playing are Giovanni Oldano of Weston, Fl., Dan Pavlik (Mount Prospect, Il.), Ken Egan (Princeton, N.J.) and Ted Chankin (Hewlett, N.Y.).